Author, as appears in the article.: Leivada, Evelina;

Department: Estudis Anglesos i Alemanys

URV's Author/s: Leivada, Evangelia

Keywords: Universal grammar Linguistic theory Final-over-final constraint Adverbs Adjectives

Abstract: This work examines the nature of the so-called mid-level generalizations of generative linguistics (MLGs). In 2015, Generative Syntax in the 21st Century: The Road Ahead was organized. One of the consensus points that emerged related to the need for establishing a canon, the absence of which was argued to be a major challenge for the field, raising issues of interdisciplinarity and interaction. Addressing this challenge, one of the outcomes of this conference was a list of MLGs. These refer to results that are well established and uncontroversially accepted. The aim of the present work is to embed some MLGs into a broader perspective. I take the Cinque hierarchies for adverbs and adjectives and the Finalover-Final Constraint as case studies in order to determine their experimental robustness. It is showed that at least some MLGs face problems of inadequacy when tapped into through rigorous testing, because they rule out data that are actually attested. I then discuss the nature of some MLGs and show that in their watereddown versions, they do hold and can be derived from general cognitive/computational biases. This voids the need to cast them as language-specific principles, in line with the Chomskyan urge to approach Universal Grammar from below.

Thematic Areas: Linguistics and language Linguistics Language and linguistics Language & linguistics Filologia, lingüística i sociolingüística Ciencias sociales Ciencias humanas

licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/

ISSN: 0721-9067

Author's mail: evelina.leivada@urv.cat

Record's date: 2023-08-05

Journal volume: 39

Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Link to the original source: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/zfs-2020-2021/html

Licence document URL: http://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/

Papper original source: Zeitschrift Fur Sprachwissenschaft. 39 (3): 357-374

APA: Leivada, Evelina; (2020). Mid-level generalizations of generative linguistics: Experimental robustness, cognitive underpinnings and the interdisciplinarity paradox. Zeitschrift Fur Sprachwissenschaft, 39(3), 357-374. DOI: 10.1515/zfs-2020-2021

Article's DOI: 10.1515/zfs-2020-2021

Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Journal publication year: 2020

Publication Type: Journal Publications